On Friday, August 2, I hiked 9.5 miles starting (and ending) at the Four Peaks Trailhead in McDowell Mountain Regional Park.
A view from the Long Loop (in the competitive track area):
I got photos of a flying owl in Stoneman Wash:
The competitive track area has some interesting terrain…
This is part of the clay mine test site along the Pemberton Trail.
Quail, running away from me on the Pemberton Trail.
Saguaro ribs:
Heather, Mike, Bob, and I hiked a 10.3 mile loop featuring the South Wash. We saw a barn owl in the wash!
On Saturday morning, I hiked the North Trail with Bob and his dogs. (I hiked part way with Sandra and her friends too.)
One of the ladies spotted this tarantula early in the hike:
The twisty-armed saguaro caught my attention:
Look for the (Harris ?) hawk atop the saguaro in the distance…
After our Friday Hike, a number of us stopped by the visitor’s center. There, we found Ranger Amy talking to (and taking photos of) Sandy and her eclectus parrot, Chaco. Sandy rides long distances on her mountain bike with Chaco perched on her shoulder.
After taking the photos of Sandy riding with Chaco, she passed Chaco over to Linda to hold…
I saw this raven on Saturday’s bike ride:
Whenever I visit the North Trail, this cardinal or one like him attacks the mirrors on either my vehicle or some other parked at the trailhead lot. When I last visited, it was attacking the mirrors of a Sheriff’s vehicle. In this photo, he’s sitting on the passenger side mirror of my truck.
Two more shots from my visit to Burlington last November…
I took this photo on November 1, 2013, during my visit to Burlington, Iowa.
